New boss bouncing as Saints halt Gunners

RALPH HASENHUTTL was the toast of Southampton yesterday after ending Arsenal’s 22-game unbeaten run.

And why not? After all, it was the new Saints boss who bought all the beers.

His decision, on the eve of his first home game in charge, to send a drinks voucher to all the club’s season-ticket holders merely broke the ice.

It was Charlie Austin’s winner five minutes from time that really got the party started as Southampton claimed their first win since September.

Hasenhuttl ran on to the pitch in celebration to join his players at the final whistle, while Arsenal were left to nurse wounds that ran even deeper after Hector Bellerin had limped off at half-time.

Before the game Arsenal’s injury problems were beginning to mount and ultimately it was a lack of regular simply have headed Matt Targett’s 20th-minute cross behind for a corner at the near post.

But he went for a volley and missed the ball – leaving Danny Ings to score his first headed goal for three years. Arsenal’s response was no surprise, given their recent form, and they were soon back level.

Nacho Monreal made a rare burst to the goalline and crossed for Henrikh Mkhitaryan to steer a header past Alex McCarthy’s fingertips and into the far corner.

It could have been a complete turnaround moments later but for a last-gasp intervention from Jan Bednarek just as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang looked set for a simple tap-in.

Instead, it was the Saints who restored their lead just before the break. Nathan Redmond, whose energy and invention look set to be a cornerstone of this Hasenhuttl era, floated a ball to Ings, who, having got